Rush IslandNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Rush IslandSun, 19 Feb 2017 08:00:17 +0000Rush Islandhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org
Eli ChenStory updated Feb. 17 with comment from Ameren Missouri — A federal judge has approved the Sierra Club's request to intervene in a Clean Air Act lawsuit between Ameren Missouri and the Environmental Protection Agency. Last month, Chief Judge Rodney Sippel ruled in U.S. District Court that Ameren violated the Clean Air Act when it installed boiler equipment at the Rush Island Power Plant in Festus in the late 2000s without acquiring special permits. The new equipment caused the plant to emit more sulfur dioxide emissions, which at high levels can cause asthma and exacerbate respiratory conditions. Before Sippel held the first meeting Thursday to determine how Ameren should reduce air pollution, the Sierra Club's lawyers filed a motion to intervene, out of concern that the Trump administration could put the case in jeopardy.Sierra Club intervenes on federal air quality lawsuit against Ameren Missourihttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/sierra-club-intervenes-federal-air-quality-lawsuit-against-ameren-missouri
55472 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 16 Feb 2017 23:46:01 +0000Sierra Club intervenes on federal air quality lawsuit against Ameren MissouriEli ChenA U.S. district court judge has ruled that Ameren Missouri violated the Clean Air Act when it made upgrades to its Rush Island Power Plant in Festus in the late 2000's. In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency filed a lawsuit against Ameren, alleging that the utility illegally installed boiler equipment that raised emissions of sulfur dioxide, a toxic gas that can cause asthma and worsen respiratory conditions. On Monday, Judge Rodney Sippel ruled in favor of the EPA, and wrote that Ameren should have applied for special permits and installed pollution control equipment when plant made the upgrades.Federal judge says Ameren's upgrades to Rush Island Power Plant violated Clean Air Act ruleshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/federal-judge-says-amerens-upgrades-rush-island-power-plant-violated-clean-air-act-rules
55286 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 24 Jan 2017 00:31:36 +0000Federal judge says Ameren's upgrades to Rush Island Power Plant violated Clean Air Act rulesEli ChenUpdated Aug. 22 with details from the trial — An Environmental Protection Agency lawsuit alleging that Ameren Missouri violated the Clean Air Act goes to trial today in U.S. District Court. The EPA filed suit against the utility five years ago. Officials with the federal agency allege that, in 2007 and 2010, Ameren illegally installed boiler equipment at two units of its Rush Island Power Plant in Jefferson County without required permits. Under the Clean Air Act, such modifications are considered new sources of air pollution, which are subject to stricter emissions limits.Trial begins in federal lawsuit against Ameren Missourihttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trial-begins-federal-lawsuit-against-ameren-missouri
53722 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgSun, 21 Aug 2016 22:07:10 +0000Trial begins in federal lawsuit against Ameren MissouriVéronique LaCapra Updated Thursday 10:15 p.m. The Sierra Club says Ameren has been routinely violating air quality standards at its St. Louis-area power plants. In a Notice of Intent to Sue delivered to Ameren on Wednesday afternoon, the Sierra Club alleges the company's Labadie, Meramec, and Rush Island plants have exceeded air pollution limits almost 10,000 times since 2008. The alleged violations involve "opacity," a measure of fine particulate matter, or soot, being emitted by the coal-fired plants in the smoke from their smokestacks. Every six minutes that visible emissions exceed state air standards counts as another violation. The Sierra Club is basing its violation tally on data obtained from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources through an open records request. Ameren uses a "continuous opacity monitoring system" to record visible smokestack emissions and reports the measurements on a quarterly basis to the Department of Natural Resources. Speaking at a rally on Thursday in Keiner Plaza,Sierra Club Alleges Thousands Of Air Quality Violations At Ameren's St. Louis-Area Plantshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/sierra-club-alleges-thousands-air-quality-violations-amerens-st-louis-area-plants
32190 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 12 Dec 2013 15:56:41 +0000Sierra Club Alleges Thousands Of Air Quality Violations At Ameren's St. Louis-Area PlantsSarah Skiöld-Hanlin The Environmental Protection Agency is holding a public hearing Thursday evening about a proposed agreement to address water pollution from the illegal disposal of coal ash from Ameren’s Rush Island Power Plant. According to the EPA, approximately 140,000 tons of ash containing heavy metals and other toxic substances contaminated Jefferson County wetlands, an unnamed tributary to Plattin Creek and a portion of Willers Lake. Former Festus City Councilman Gregg Aubuchon spoke at a press conference held by environmental groups ahead of the hearing. "Missouri polluters cannot dump ash into our waters unchecked," Aubuchon said. "The EPA and DNR must take steps to protect our health and quality of our water. Your household garbage is managed much more consistently than coal combustion waste." EPA spokesperson Chris Whitley says under the terms of the agreement , the company that owns the land ― Rotary Drilling Supply, Inc. ― would put a cap over the coal ash, but do nothing to protect groundEPA Holds Public Hearing Over Coal Ash Contamination In Jefferson Countyhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/epa-holds-public-hearing-over-coal-ash-contamination-jefferson-county
29309 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 22 Aug 2013 20:11:21 +0000EPA Holds Public Hearing Over Coal Ash Contamination In Jefferson CountyVéronique LaCapraEnvironmental groups are once again urging state officials to require groundwater monitoring at Ameren’s coal-fired power plants in eastern Missouri. The Sierra Club and Labadie Environmental Organization submitted a letter to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources on Thursday asking the state not to allow Ameren to build new coal ash landfills before testing groundwater for contamination. Maxine Lipeles co-directs the Interdisciplinary Environmental Law Clinic at Washington University. “Unless you know what exists today, you’ll never be able to know whether the new landfills would be leaking, because whatever comes out of the landfill is going to be the same kind of contamination that’s probably already coming out of the ash ponds,” Lipeles said. Lipeles says many of the people who live near the Labadie, Meramec, and Rush Island plants get their drinking water from groundwater wells. Coal ash contains toxic substances like arsenic and lead, and a number of Ameren’s coal ashEnvironmental Groups Demand Groundwater Testing Near Ameren Power Plantshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/environmental-groups-demand-groundwater-testing-near-ameren-power-plants
26680 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 23 May 2013 22:53:24 +0000Environmental Groups Demand Groundwater Testing Near Ameren Power PlantsVéronique LaCapraUpdated at 3:15 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2012: The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will hold another public awareness session Aug. 14. This one will focus on the permitting process for a proposed coal ash landfill at Amerens Meramec power plant near Arnold, Mo. The proposed landfill site is located at 8200 Fine Road, approximately 3.6 miles southeast of the intersection of Interstate 55 and Route 141. Ameren is preparing a detailed site investigation work plan. The session is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Rogers Elementary School, 7700 Fine Road in St. Louis. Representatives of MDNR and Ameren will be available to answer questions. Original story posted 5:53 p.m. Aug. 7, 2012: The St. Louis-based utility company Ameren is proposing to build a coal ash landfill at its Rush Island power plant in Jefferson County, about 10 miles southeast of Festus. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is holding a public awareness session tonight to describe the permitting process for the landfill.Meetings on possible coal ash landfills at Rush Island, Meramechttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/meetings-possible-coal-ash-landfills-rush-island-meramec
4269 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 08 Aug 2012 20:20:07 +0000Meetings on possible coal ash landfills at Rush Island, MeramecVéronique LaCapraAmeren Missouri is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed against the company by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The suit filed in January alleges that Ameren violated the Clean Air Act by making multi-million-dollar modifications to its coal-fired power plant in Festus without installing required pollution controls and obtaining the necessary permits. In a court filing Tuesday , Ameren said the complaint just quotes regulations and lacks specific factual allegations about projects at the Rush Island plant. The company also said that most of the claims for civil penalties should be dismissed because the relevant statute of limitations of has expired. Federal regulators want Ameren to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, to address any harm caused by the violations, and to pay civil penalties. Ameren maintains that the modifications at the Festus plant consisted of routine maintenance projects allowed under the Clean Air Act.Ameren to U.S. district court: dismiss EPA lawsuithttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/ameren-us-district-court-dismiss-epa-lawsuit
729 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 15 Mar 2011 22:27:13 +0000Ameren to U.S. district court: dismiss EPA lawsuit